Submersible seismometer system



Sept. 14, 1948. R. A. PETERSON SUBMERSIBLE SEISMOMETER SYSTEM Filed Dec. 12, 1944 l 7 M N 2 7 2 .yHo/o 2 p n.

JNVEN TOR RA yMoA/DA Pfrffau A TTOPA/E Y Fl F2 FRCQUENCY Patented Sept. 14, i948 SMEBSLE SEISMOMETER SYSTEM ymond A. Peterson, Pasadena, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to United Geophysical Company, Inc., Pasaden of California a, Calif., a corporation Application December 12, 194,4, Serial No. 587,891

f 'i Claims. (Cl. ITI-352) This invention relates to seismic wave reception and particularly to the reception of seismic waves in a water medium.

In the art of prospecting for mineral deposits such as petroleum beneath the earths surface by seismic methods, it has heretofore been a common practice to drill a hole into the earth and set oiI a charge of explosive in the hole to generate seismic waves which travel through the earth. Such seismic waves, upon striking some subterranean layers, are reflected or diifracted. The seismic waves are received by a suitable detecting device, commonly called a seismometer, placed in or near the earths surface. 'I'he seismic waves received at the seismometer are converted in to corresponding electrical waves which may be amplified and caused to produce a permanent record and thus information in respect o the subterranean layers may be obtained.

In prospecting on dry land bysuch seismic nethods, the seismometer is placed in rm con- ;act with the earth to permit eilicient transmisaion of the waves from the earth to the responsive :eismometer element. When prospecting is done n regions of the earths surface which are beieath the water, the seismometer is brought into :ontact with the water so that the seismic waves yravelling through thewater may similarly transnit their energy to the seismometer element. )Wing to the fluid nature of water, and also to he fact, that bodies of water commonly have vaves set up in them from other than the seismic ources, various expedients have heretofore been mployed for transmitting to the seismometerfrom he water, as large an amplitude of the seismic vave relative to the extraneous waves as is pos` lble.

According to my invention, I provide an arangement which I. have found exceptionally well uited for the eicient transmission or coupling o the seismometer of the seismic waves in the rater, while eliminating from the seismometer lost of the undesirable extraneous waves in the vater. I carry out my invention by the provilon of a platform preferably non-resonant at requencies within the principal seismic wave requency'range, and provided with a suspension leans for holding it suspended at some distance eneath the surface of the water from a float. A feature of my invention is the construction f the float to be relatively unresponsive to exraneous wave motion.

Another feature of my invention is a. system E floats in cooperation with the suspended platrms supporting the seismometers so that a 2 number of seismometers may be placed along a course at which it is desired to receive seismic waves.

My invention will be better understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawing of which:

Fig. 1 shows a seismometer platform suspended from a float in accordance with my invention:

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the platform shown in Fig. 1; f

Fig. 3 is yan elevation cross-section view taken at line III-1U of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 shows a typical wave amplitude vs. frequency characteristic at a seismometer in the water; and

Fig. 5 shows an organization of a number of suspended seismometer platforms.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the platform il`Y preferably, but not necessarily circular in shape.' is suspended by a plurality of cords il, I 2 and i3 fastened at their lower ends to suitable fastening devices on the platform, such as eyes il, I 5 and I6, and at their upper ends to a fastening ring Il. The fasteningring is attached to suspension cord 48, one end of which is tied or otherwise suitably attached to the lower end of a pole i9, as by a suitable eye 20. Preferably the cord is looped through ring l1 as shown, and brought upthrough a. longitudinal bore in pole i9, to the top of the rod where it may be-fastened to a suitable cleat ila. In this way the level of the platform below the rod may be adjusted. The pole I 9 is the core of a spar buoy or iloat and is provided with a number of annular rings 2l of cork or .other porous, buoyant material. The spar buoy is provided with enough buoyancy to remain aoat at the surface of the water while supporting beneath it the suspended platform i0 .with a seismometer 22 supported on it as shown.

The platform I0 should be of large enough area so that it will be set into vibration as a whole in correspondence with seismic waves in the water, and yet will not develop resonance points within the principal band of seismic frequencies. A diameter of about 20 inches has been found suitable and will provide sufllcient area for eilicient coupling with the water in respect to the seismic wave vibrations. For the purpose of deadening the platform to undesired selfresonance, I have constructed the platform as shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3, in the form of a sandwich formed -by two disks 23 at 24, preferably of a non-resonant wood such as a marine plywood, and a layer of tar 25 between them. The wood disks and the tar layer between them may eachl conveniently be made about '1/2" thick. For the assaoss purpose of holding the tar in position and preventing it from flowing out. a thin metal band Il, for example, of steel, is placed around the periphery of the platform il. In case the weight of seismometer 22 is not sufficient to submerge the platform to the distance allowed by the suspension cords, there may be provided additional weights or feet 21, which may be of vheavy metal such as lead and preferably conically shaped, screwed into the bottom disk 24 as shown.

In order to eliminate or minimize the effect of wave motion at the surface of the water, the spar buoy should be constructed to be substantially unresponsive to such motion and also so as not to be set into vibration upon being slapped by surface waves. 'I'his is accomplished' by the provision of the eil'ectively deadened annular rings 2i, of cork or the like, which should be made to fit snugly around the center pole l! which is preferably made of strong non-resonant material.

In order further to deaden undesired vibrations, the suspension cords supporting the platform should preferably be made of an elastic material such as rubber whichwill serve to allow the platform to maintain a constant position beneath the surface of the water in spite of some vertical motion of the sparvbuoy which might take place. For this purpose either the cords Il, i2. Il or the cord Il might be made elastic. r if desired, both sets of cords could be made elastic.

The type of seismometer 22 used on the platform should preferably be the velocity or displacementfresponsive type, that is having an electrical output proportional to the velocity or displacement of the received seismic waves. The reasonv for this preference for the velocity or displacement-responsive seismometer over the pressure-responsive seismometer resides in the fact that throughout the principal seismic wave range. there is greater amplitude of wave displacement and velocity than of pressure in the water. 'Ihe most important of the seismic wave range lies below a frequency of about 200 cycles per sec., and more -particularly between about 30 and 100 cycles per sec. The general characteristic of the wave amplitude in the water is illustrated graph- 'ically in Fig. 4 wherein the ordinate representing relative displacement or velocity amplitude is plotted against frequency. The curve shows that at any @position in the water where the seismometer is located, the displacement or velocity amplitudeA is a maximum at zero frequency and remains relatively high throughout a low frequency range extending upwardly from zero frequency. The amplitude then drops rapidly toa minimum at a frequency F1. this minimum being due to cancellation of vertically travelling seismic waves by the reflected waves from the surface. At the higher and still less important frequencies, the characteristic becomes recurrent, as shown, that is, the amplitude increases to a maximum at a frequency Fn and drops again to a minimum at a higherfrequency Fs, and so on. The pressure amplitude characteristic (not shown in the figure) .would on the other hand be complementary to the velocity or displacement amplitude characteristic shown. as the pressure amplitude would be about zero, at zero frequency, and would not increase to a maximum until a substantially high frequency, well above the important seismic range, is reached. Consequently, in the seismic range, the pressure amplitudes would be so low as to produce little response at the seismometer.

. to select the minimum response frequencies such as F1. The reason for this is that the frequency of the renected wave which cancels out the directly received wave will be that corresponding to the distance of travel through the water from the seismometer to the point of reflection, which is the water surface. This adjustment may be readily accomplished according to the arrangement of Fig. 1 by raising or lowering the platform il by means of cord il. Buch an adjustment maybe particularly useful where a wave of a particular frequency is undesired. for example. an undesired frequency present in the seismic wave train. The depth may be so adjusted that this undesired frequency becomes the frequency Fig. 5 shows an arrangement which may be used for placing a number of seismometers along a line or course as is frequently desired in seismic recording work. This comprises a number of platforms il, suspended from their `floats or buoys, each platform containing a seismometer 'I'he several platforms are spaced at definite positions by means of a strong line or cable 2l fastened to the rings ll tied to the pole near the water line by ropes or cords Il, and supported on floats Il, floating on the surface of the water Il. At each end of the course or 4line of seismometer platforms, there is provided an end buoy 3| to which the cable Il is fastened and passed down to an anchor 32 placed on the bed of the water body. The wires from the several seismometers may be taken out through suitable cable u which may be strung from one seismometer to the next in the course by suitable attachment to the spar buoys, floats and buoys as shown; and at the end of the course, the cable It may lead to the receiving instruments, for example on the shore or in a boat.

By m'y invention. I have provided a practical means for coupling a seismic-wave responsive device to' receive the wave motion from a water medium. By reason of the deadening of the platform and the supporting spar buoy being relatively responsive to extraneous wave motion. little interference is had from such extraneous wave sources in the water medium. In consei'nience, records made of waves detected from the seismometers are clearly readable and free from extraneous interfering wave sources.

I claim:

l. Means forcoupling a seismic detecting device toa water medium carrying seismic waves, which comprises a float for oating at the surface of the water and a platform adapted to be submerged in the water suspended from the float and adapted to have placed thereon the seismic detecting device, the platform being non-resonant at frequencies -within the effective seismic wave range and being sumciently rigid to be set into vibration as a whole in correspondence with seismic waves in the water.

2. Means for coupling a seismic detecting device to a water medium carrying seismic waves, which comprises a float for floating at the surface of the water, and a platform adapted to be submerged in the water suspended from the float and adapted to have placed thereon the seismic detecting device, said platform comprising a layer of viscous material sandwiched between two layers of rigid material.

3. Means according to claim 2 in which said viscous material is asphalt and said rigid material 1s wood.

4. Means for coupling a seismic detecting device to a water medium carrying seismic waves, which comprises a spar buoy for iioating at the surface of the water and a platform adapted to be submerged in the water and suspended from the lower end of said buoy, the platform being adapted to have the seismic detecting device placed thereon and being non-resonant to frequencies within the effective seismic wave range and being suiciently rigid to be set into vibration as a whole in correspondence with seismic waves in the water.

5. Means for coupling a seismic detecting device to a water medium carrying seismic waves. rwhich comprises a float for iioating at the surface of the water, and a platform adapted to be submerged in the water suspended from the iioat and adapted to have placed thereon the seismic detecting device, said platform being submerged beneath the water surface by a distance such that waves reflected from the water surface cancel directly-received waves at a predetermined frequency which is undesired for reception,

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which the depth of the platform beneath the float is adjustable for adjusting the undesired frequency.

7. A system for receiving seismic waves in a water medium, comprising a plurality of floats for floating at the surface of the water, a platform suspended from each oat in the water, said platform being constructedlto be set into vi'- bration as a whole in correspondence with seismic waves in the water, a seismic wave detecting device placed on each platform," said floats being joined by a cable, said cable being held at the sur'- face of the water by a plurality of oats in addition to the first-mentioned plurality of tioats, and means for anchoring the cable.

RAYMOND A. PETERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the.

le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

